ABSTRACT
This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part shows that ecological framework provides opportunities to broaden the scope of interpretation to include activities and texts that might not otherwise be included, such as print and video interviews, album art and packaging, and recording industry economics. It argues that for Devils & Dust, Bruce Springsteen employed an "explicitly rhetorical style" that leveraged music, commentary, packaging, and artwork "to suggest specific interpretations of his music and specific political actions on the part of audiences". The part suggests that Spring-steen's live audiences cocreate an individual concert through sign requests and physical and emotional responses to Springsteen and the band. It looks to several of "Springsteen's notable failures to identify," including the song "American Skin” and the times when conservative fans admonished Springsteen for making politically liberal statements from the stage.
